Americas

The result has lit up the idea that fighting councillors can help build
support for a real alternative to austerity

Socialist Party (CWI in England & Wales) reporters

Keith Morrell has re-won his council seat Coxford, standing as part of
the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). Keith was previously
kicked out of the Labour Party for fighting against cuts.

He has been decisively re-elected with 1,654 votes, 43%. This is a great
result and vindication for his stand, alongside fellow rebel councillor
Don Thomas, in opposing all cuts.

Ukip came second with 796 votes, Labour third with 724 votes, the Tories
fourth with 500 votes, and Lib Dems last with 168.

The result has lit up the idea that fighting councillors can help build
support for a real alternative to austerity. It is in sharp contrast to
the close shave for Labour council leader Simon Letts who nearly lost
his seat to Ukip after two years of implementing Tory cuts.

Keith said:

"This result is a victory for the people of Coxford who fought to save
local services and won an important victory to re-open our local
swimming pool. It shows what is possible.

"Other significant results across the city for TUSC Against Cuts
candidates shows the potential that exists for a new party. A party that
stands up for working people, campaigns for jobs and housing and tackles
the growing poverty that affects so many families in the city".

Thanks to all TUSC supporters for their campaigning work and solidarity
which ensured the message was heard loud and clear across Coxford and
beyond. Councillors have a choice, this one won’t vote for cuts and we
need many more who will join his stand.

Nick Chaffey

Election success for anti-cuts candidates

Not all the results are known yet, but TUSC has made a number of other
important steps forward.

In Coventry TUSC’s national chairperson Dave Nellist polled a very good
974 votes, coming second with a 29.7% share. Another solid result in
that city was Rob McArdle’s 248 votes in Lower Stoke ward, a 6.2% share.
Overall, TUSC candidates polled 2,592 votes across Coventry.

In Waltham Forest in London TUSC scored an excellent 5,482 votes across
33 seats. In Haringey, London, over 4,000 voted for TUSC’s anti-cuts
programme.

The mainstream media’s reporting of the local elections has concentrated
almost exclusively on the increase in Ukip’s vote.

Ukip gained votes by posing as an anti-establishment party when, in
reality, it has received wall-to-wall coverage in the mainstream media,
and is a party led by bankers and millionaires which is to the right of
the Tory Party.

Ukip stands for £77 billion ’extra’ cuts on top of the misery the
government is already imposing on us.

The media has largely refused to cover the Trade Unionist and Socialist
Coalition (TUSC) despite it standing 560 candidates, the biggest
left-of-Labour challenge in 60 years. This was the beginning of building
an alternative to the parties of austerity.

TUSC candidates were anti-cuts activists, community campaigners and
trade unionists. TUSC was co-founded by the late Bob Crow, and is backed
by the transport workers’ union - the RMT, along with other leading
trade unionists and socialists.